Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-25
DUNGEON WALLS
CURIOUS rRssoa YaxscoEs poxR ny
ApuKg.
Loehes and the Castle nungecns-Louis
XII. and the Father Of
Diane.
IlScAes ,rouraIne, Letter.

even il the tourist he's to go ont Of his
way 10 get here. IL would be hard for
nue. 10 tell how many hundreds OF years
AGO the aonion nc IOchcS vas construct
ed. but those builded we'll who erected
it. Long before Anjouans became Plan
tagenets and plantsgenets kin9sof Eng
land, the castle fortress stood where 1t
now is, bold defiance TO all invaders.
When Richard of the Lion Heart gave 1t
to his wife, Queen Berangere. IT consist
ed of little more than a great square tall
building called the doDjon 1t was then
as now donjon surrounded hya double
line Of ramparts, only that to-day 1t IS
in sad state OF ruins.
/ rang the bell at the stout oaken door
of the old castle, and | rang again and
again before it was finally opened. The
concierge who came TO let me in con-
Quoted me, first OF all, TO the donlon.
This structure was so stoutly built some
zoo or 800 years ago that no one has ever
cared 10 undertake to demolish all that
fire and time have left standing. Inside
a narrow flight of stone steps commands
the yawning gulf, the darkness Of winch
is but dimly lighted 10y ruined loop
holes The floors have long since fallen
in. and could see to the full height
of the bare, roohess walls. Smoke
blackened freplaces are to be seen
on every stage, green, shiny moss
covers the stones, plants are growing
everywhere, aud rank leaves hide the
corner projections The windows still
retain their wrought-iron bars an altar,
dedicated to an obscure saint, Is still III
It's place, and below it grows IA shrubby
tree that lifts its light branches so as to
form a sort Of canopy of verdure over
the ruined tabernacle. Higher mp is the
sky and the crows that all day long cav
themselves hoarse aloh2 the top of the
ancient walls. At some risk to myself
climbed the steps up which the master
Of the place used to pass to his apart
ments. entered the first floor OF what
/ NAV call the main donjon, and
here the guide pointed ont to me
n secret fight of steps hidden
in wall more than fourteen feet
thick that lead to the floor above. Be
hind one of the fireplaces is q narrow
vaulted passage also hidden in the thick
ness of the wall. This passage passed
around two sides Of the d0nj0n. One
end opened in the grea. hall OF the
second floor and the other communicated
with a flight of steps that led to the
floor below. In one corner the wall hiding
this secret passage is covered with ruoe
carvings still observable and represent
ing religions subjects-arins, men, ana
lnimsls-al of which were cut there
il the thirteenth century. This was the
hahitation of the commander or gov
ernor of the castle, and 1t could not be
entered by an enemy except by surprise
or trcachery.
We went thence to that ruined part Of
the castle called the martelet and IN
which is the cachOt that held the cele-
brated Duke OF Milan many years.
Louis Marie Sforza, or Ludoylc the
Moor. As he was also named, was the
second son OF bastard peasant who
became successful soldier, and who
married the Legitimate daughter OF
Philippe Viscount LudovicS eldest
brother, Galeas, Duke OF Milan by right
of Inheritance and conquest, married
Bonne De Savoy, and tins union made
him the brother in-law OF King Louis
VI. AT his death he left son, Jean
Galeas Marie. who should have been hls
successor but Uncle LuaOvic cut oil
the head of the young mans tutor,
drove his sistor-in-law from Milan,
and poisoned his nephew. How
ever, Jean left II son, ana to
save him from Ludovic his mother, lisa
belle Of Aragon, sent him to France to
monastery. He became priest, but
was very iond of hunting, and one day
when riding to hounds he had fall
which settled him reyer. His death
Left no one of his family to dispute the
ducal throne with Louis Siorza, and
things would, / dare say, have gone oil
right with him had he not happened to
fall into the hands OF Louis MI, who
claimed the heritage as grandson OF Val
entiue Visconti. On Easter Monday OF
1900 was fought the battle OF Novaro,
and there, betrayed by his Swiss merce-
naries Ludoyic was forced to surrender
TO an officer in the French army. lie
WAS first imprisoned at Pierre En-
cise. in the same Dungeon where
his cantor. Louis MI. was put,
while still Duke or Orleans, by
Charles VIII. after the battle of IT.
Auhip du CORNER Caught trying TO
bribe the jailer. he was transferred
thence TO the stout tower at BourRcs,
where he remained four years, and
whence be came TO this town and donIon.
Here. in damp and dark cdchof, hight
cd dimlv bv a narrow window that was
MERGED through a wall twelve feet tln
thickness and which has five SETS Of
cross bars firmly placed in 1t Mt intervals
here IN this gloomy place a prince VINO
had built fine palaces, who hat sat on
throne, who had established IA grammar
school. and bad fostered the arts-it WAS
nc who eluployed Leonardo ia Nlnci to
paint " The Last Supper was kept
Gagged for nearly quarter OF century,
and 10 while away the time he selected q
means Of employment perhaps the most
difficult 10 follow-that OF mural decOra-
tons.
or course he did not attempt any
painting until his eyes had grown well
accustomed to the Ohscunty OF hls
room. and then he had to secure ms
.coiors. 1t took the Governor two years
10 make up his MUD to let ndoVc
have colors. brushes, and & ladder, but
when at last they came the prisoner set
10 work on some paintings which are as
curious as they arc original. There is
great quantity OF saltpetre in the stones
ont of which the castle was built, and
this same saltpetre has long since coated
a mart Of the cachOt walls, but enough OF
his work still remains 10 interest visitors
and 10 enable them 10 say something
interesting about II, 1t looks as II
the Duke OF Milan began to paint
over the fireplace. There, at any
rate. be painted his own portrait. The
head is larger than lite aud Is covered
by an enormous helmet, bat the visor is
up and we can see the face in profile II
is a striking lace, with an aquiAne nose
like that Of Roman Emperor. The
chin is very prominent, and the lower
lip projects aud is curled in a sort OF
sncenng or cOniemptuous manner On
either side Of thus head are words of a
device cot III the stones IN fine lines. but
which are separated by piumes or
feathers similar 10 those In the helmet.